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'Knocked me to the floor': Prince Harry recounts attack by brother William in new book

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Thu, 5 Jan 2023, 2:52pm
Princes William and Harry. Photo / AP
Princes William and Harry. Photo / AP

'Knocked me to the floor': Prince Harry recounts attack by brother William in new book

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Thu, 5 Jan 2023, 2:52pm

In his new autobiography,聽Spare, Prince Harry says he was physically attacked by his brother William, now Prince of Wales, after their relationship was strained over his marriage to American actor Meghan Markle.

Harry wrote that William 鈥済rabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and 鈥 knocked me to the floor鈥, according to a report by聽The Guardian.

This, he claimed, occurred during a confrontation in his London home in 2019 where William had called Meghan 鈥渄ifficult鈥, 鈥渞ude鈥 and 鈥渁brasive鈥.

The attack, Harry said, resulted in visible injury to his back.

The Guardian聽said it obtained a copy of聽Spare, which will be published worldwide next week, 鈥渁mid stringent pre-launch security鈥.

The publication, and claims made by Harry about the altercation, is expected to spark a serious furore for the British Royal family.

The title of the book comes from an old saying in royal and aristocratic circles that a first son is an heir to titles, power and fortune, and a second is therefore a 鈥渟pare鈥.

Harry wrote that William wanted to talk about 鈥渢he whole rolling catastrophe鈥 of their relationship and struggles with the press.

William was 鈥減iping hot鈥, he said, when he arrived at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where Harry was living at the time.

William complained about Meghan, Harry writes, but Harry told him he was just repeating press narrative and he expected better.

Harry said William was not being rational at the time and the two princes shouted over each other.

He accused William of acting like an heir and failing to understand why he was not content to be a spare.

After insults were exchanged, William claimed he was trying to help.

鈥淎re you serious? Help me? Sorry 鈥 is that what you call this? Helping me?鈥 Harry said.

This comment angered his brother, Harry said. Now scared, Harry went to the kitchen with William following.

鈥淲illy I can鈥檛 speak to you when you鈥檙e like this,鈥 Harry said as he gave Willaim a glass of water.

鈥淗e set down the water, called me another name, then came at me. It all happened so fast. So very fast. He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and he knocked me to the floor.

鈥淚 landed on the dog鈥檚 bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.鈥

Harry wrote that Willaim urged him to hit back, citing fights they had as kids but Harry refused to.

William then left, Harry said, then returned 鈥渓ooking regretful, and apologised鈥.

After that, Harry wrote that as William left a second time, he 鈥渢urned and called back: 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 need to tell Meg about this.鈥

鈥溾榊ou mean that you attacked me?鈥

鈥溾業 didn鈥檛 attack you, Harold.鈥欌

Harry claimed he called his therapist but didn鈥檛 immediately tell his wife.

He told her of the attack only after she noticed scrapes and bruises on his back.

Meghan 鈥渨asn鈥檛 that surprised, and wasn鈥檛 all that angry ... she was terribly sad鈥, Harry said.

Harry recounts a story early on about how his father, now King Charles, had supposedly told his mother, Princess Diana on the day of his birth: 鈥淲onderful! Now you鈥檝e given me an heir and a spare 鈥 my work is done.鈥

His resentment about being the 鈥渟pare鈥 is the unifying theme of his book,聽The Guardian听蝉补颈诲.

鈥淭hrough chapters on his childhood, his schooling, his career as a royal and in the British army, his relationship with his parents and brother, and his life with Meghan through courtship, wedding, and marriage to their own experience of parenthood.鈥

In the book, Harry was also unsparing in his recounting of intensely private scenes and conversations with his mother Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997, and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Harry also recounted an anguished meeting with Charles and William after the funeral of Prince Phillip, the queen鈥檚 husband, at Windsor Castle in April 2021.

Charles, he said, stood between his warring sons, 鈥渓ooking up at our flushed faces鈥.

鈥淧lease, boys,鈥 Harry quoted his father as saying. 鈥淒on鈥檛 make my final years a misery.鈥

Harry met Meghan in 2015 and married at Windsor Castle two years later, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The couple began life as working royals but soon drifted apart from the family before moving to Canada and then California after an acrimonious split.

Their famous interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 caused huge controversy, and subjects of that interview and a recently released Netflix documentary - including Meghan鈥檚 thoughts of suicide, her miscarriage and suggestions of racism within royal circles are extensively covered in Harry鈥檚 book.

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